Data Center Engineer

Data Center Engineer at Greenstone Partners Global Data Center Engineer at Greenstone Partners Global in Knoxville, Tennessee Posted in 40 minutes ago.

Type:

full-time

Job Description:

Core Responsibilities:

Physical Infrastructure & Installation

• Rack, stack, and cable server, storage, and networking equipment to professional data center standards, ensuring proper weight distribution, airflow management, and bend radius compliance
• Design and execute structured cabling (copper and fiber) with labeling, documentation, and patching that supports both current operations and future expansion
• Conduct power circuit calculations and coordinate PDU/UPS connections; comply with all site safety requirements, facility electrical protocols, and security procedures in classified and unclassified environments
• Maintain physical inventory, asset tracking, and equipment lifecycle documentation Systems Configuration & Deployment
• Configure server

BIOS/UEFI

settings, out-of-band management interfaces (iDRAC, i

LO, IPMI, BMC

), firmware updates, and hardware RAID

• Deploy and administer VMware vSphere/vCenter environments including ESXi host configuration, vMotion, DRS, HA clusters, and virtual networking
• Configure and manage enterprise network switches from Cisco, Arista, and similar vendors
• including VLANs, trunking, spanning tree, routing protocols, and ACLs
• Provision and administer enterprise storage platforms (NetApp, Pure Storage, Dell PowerStore, HPE Alletra) including volume creation, snapshot policies, replication, and performance tuning
• Maintain and configure data center management and monitoring software including vendor-specific tools and DCIM platforms Troubleshooting & Incident Response
• Diagnose and resolve complex hardware failures
• CPU, memory, storage controllers, NICs, power supplies, and interconnects
• often under time pressure in production environments
• Work support tickets from open to closure, documenting root cause analysis and corrective actions clearly and accurately
• Escalate effectively to vendors and OEM support teams; manage vendor RMA processes and on-site service engagements
• Respond to after-hours critical infrastructure events as needed; participate in on-call rotation Customer & Vendor Engagement
• Serve as a professional, composed point of contact for research staff, project leads, and external customers
• including in high-pressure or time-sensitive situations
• Translate technical findings into clear written and verbal communication for both technical and non-technical audiences
• Handle difficult customer interactions with patience, professionalism, and problem-solving focus; de-escalate effectively without compromising service quality
• Coordinate with OEM vendor representatives for hardware quotes, procurement, and technical guidance Security & Compliance
• Operate within the security protocols of both classified and unclassified data center environments, adhering to applicable

FISMA, NIST

800-53, and site-specific security requirements

• Maintain required certifications and complete recurring security awareness, training, and compliance obligations on schedule
• Participate in audits, inspections, and vulnerability remediation activities as required Required Qualifications
• 5+ years of hands-on, full-lifecycle data center engineering experience in enterprise or government environments
• Proven expertise in rack installation, structured cabling, and professional-grade physical infrastructure work
• Deep working knowledge of at least three of the following OEM platforms: Dell PowerEdge/PowerStore/PowerSwitch, HPE ProLiant/Alletra/Aruba, NetApp ONTAP, Cisco Catalyst/Nexus, Arista EOS, Pure Storage FlashArray, Supermicro
• Hands-on VMware vSphere administration (ESXi, vCenter, v

SAN, NSX

exposure a plus)

• Proficiency configuring enterprise network switches including VLANs, routing, and ACLs
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex hardware and infrastructure issues autonomously
• Professional demeanor with strong written and verbal communication skills
• Self-motivated learner with demonstrated history of independently pursuing new technical knowledge
• Ability to obtain and maintain a government security clearance (U.S. citizenship required; must reside within commuting distance of Oak Ridge, TN)
• Proficiency with Linux administration
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) or CentOS/Rocky Linux preferred
• including package management, systemd services, storage configuration, and basic shell scripting
• Ability to lift and maneuver equipment up to 50 lbs; comfortable working in raised-floor, hot/cold aisle, and active data center environments Preferred Qualifications & HPC Experience Candidates with high-performance computing (HPC) experience are strongly preferred. The following are considered significant differentiators:
• Experience deploying, configuring, or operating HPC clusters in research, government, or academic environments
• Familiarity with

NVIDIA GPU

infrastructure

• including DGX systems, NVLink, NVSwitch, and GPU-accelerated workloads
• Hands-on InfiniBand fabric configuration and troubleshooting (HDR/NDR preferred; Mellanox/NVIDIA HCA and switch configuration)
• Experience with Weka.

IO parallel file system

• deployment, configuration, tiering, and performance diagnostics
• Kubernetes cluster administration in bare-metal or on-premises contexts; exposure to HPC job schedulers (Slurm, PBS Pro)
• Working knowledge of high-speed networking fabrics and RDMA protocols
• Infrastructure automation experience
• Ansible playbooks, Terraform modules, or equivalent IaC tooling for provisioning, configuration management, and repeatable deployments
• Scripting proficiency (Bash, Python, or PowerShell) to automate routine operational tasks, data collection, and reporting
• Experience with open-source monitoring tooling (Prometheus, Grafana, Nagios) and log aggregation platforms
• Active CompTIA Security+, Network+, or equivalent government/industry security certifications
• Vendor certifications: Cisco

CCNA/CCNP, NVIDIA

DCA, NetApp NCDA, VMware VCP, Dell/HPE technical certifications